Aeroplane.



W. E. LANE.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7'. 1911.

Patented May 21,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. E. LANE.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7. 1917.

Patent-ed May 21,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- WILLIAM EDWARD LANE, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

AEROIIPLANIE.

igecaea.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2f, 191i.

' Application filed July 7, 1917. Serial No. 179,217.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WmJAM 1E. LANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia,

have invented certain new and useful llm- 'provements in Aeroplanes; and l do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates broadly to aircraft and more particularly to those of the multi-' plane type, the principal object being to provide a 'machine having a maximum amount of lift ng power without noticeably diminishing its speed.

Another object is to provide a novel type of supporting plane and to arange the several planes :ina umque maner so that stabil- Q constructed in izing of the machine will be accomplished without the use of stabilizing planes.

Yet another object of the invention is to so construct the planes as to permit them to be manufactured of metal, and at the same time to insure that the air banks? shall be properly formed beneath them.

- -A still further object is to provide a novel type of propeller blade constructed of metal for the most part, but having fabric side coverings which insure a more eifectlve engagel'nent with the air.

With the foregoing general objects in view,' the invention resides in the novel features of constructlon and unique oomblnations of'pa-rts to be hereinafter .fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawings which-form a part of this specification and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an airship accordance with my invention; r

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the plane of the 1ine'2-2 of Fig.- 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional viewj.onsubstantially the plane indicated by the line 33 of Fig. l Fig. 4: is a the supporting planes;

longitudinal section of one of Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section of Fig.4 on the plane of the line 5-5;

and

Figs. 7 and 8 are detail sectional views of Fig. 6 on the planes designated respectively by the lines 77 and 88 thereof.

In the drawings above briefly described, the numeral 1 designates an appropriate frame which'may well'be mounted on wheels 2, upon skids, or upon pontoons, if the machine is to be employed as a hydro-aeroplane. The frame 1 carries the usual or any preferred type of elevating planes 3 and rudder 4; and two motors, disposed foreand aft,,- are provided, said -motorsbeing designated by the numerals 5. The outer ends of the engine shafts 6 are rotatably mounted in suitable bearings carried by exsupporting planes 9 which are elongated in the direction of travel and spaced apart, said planes being parallel and being disposed in the same horizontal plane. Spaced directly above the planes 9, are two similar planes 10 which are also spaced apart hori zontally and located on parallel lines extending longitudinally of the machine, said planes 10 being not only parallel to each other, but to the planes 9. A fifth plane 11 is carried by the frame 1 and is positioned above the space between the upper planes 10, said planes 10 being parallel with the .plane 11 as will be clear from Fig. 1. This Fig. v6 is an elevation ofthe propeller;

arrangement of supporting planes servesto.

efiectively stabilize the machine without the necessity of providing auxiliary adjustable stabilizing planes such as those now commonly used, the reason for this. action, be-

ing that more supporting area exists at the upper portion of the ship, than at the lower. Furthermore, the engines, the drivers seat,

' the steering mechanism, and any weight carried, are located below the center of gravity, being shown in the present form of the invention as carried by a longitudlnal platform 12. This platform, due to the generalv construction of the ship, may be of much greater dimensions than usual and it will therefore be obvious that a larger cargo may well be carried.

As will be clear from the drawings, all of the planes 9, 10 and 11 are of novel construction, each of said planes being concavo-con vex in transverse section, with their concave sides disposed downwardly, the body portions 13 of said planes being formed of metal such as aluminum, and being bulged upwardly on parallel longitudinal lines to form each plane with a plurality of channels 14 whose ends merge gradually into the lower surface of the planes as indicated at 15, said channels constituting a multiplicity of longitudinally extending air pockets in which the air is more or less trapped so that air cushions are provided.

Experience has taught that metal planes will not operate effectively, since the resistance .to the air is insuflicient to properly bank the latter. To overcome this difficulty, however, I provide the lower surface of each plane with a lining 16 of textile fabric or any other fibrous material such as canvas. The linings 16*are cemented or otherwise secured to the planes throughout the area thereof and by this means the difficulties heretofore encountered, will be effectively overcome. Difiiculty has also been met in using metal propeller. blades, since they have a great tendency to form air holes-or cavities in the air instead of gripping the latter andperforming their proper function. This undesirable feature of the metal propeller, is 45.

overcome in the present invention, by Inlaying a pair of side coverings 17 in the opposite sides of the metal propeller blade 18, said coverings being formed of canvas, or any other preferred material which will obtain' the necessary r'esult- It will be observed by reference to Figs. 7 and 8, that the edges of the side coverings 17 terminate short of'the edges and ends of the propellerblades, said edges and ends being brought to substantially a knife edge asindicated at 18, so that, the resistance to the air will be reduced to thej m;inimum. Nevertheless, the propeller willeflectively prevent cavitation,

due to the provision of the side coverings 17 i which effectively grip the air,

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be obvious that although the improved air-ship is of simple and comparatively inexpensive construction, it will be highly efficient and durable, particular emphasis being laid upon the general relation of the several support ing planes, upon the specific construction of these planes, and upon the novel structure of the propeller blades. I also attach great importance to the fact that the machine is elongated longitudinally of the direction of flight. By this arrangement, the lifting cav pacity of the machine is unusually great and elongated longitudinally of the line of flight, the upper planes being parallel with the lower planes, a fifth plane parallel with said upper planes and extending longitudinally above the space between them, and a propeller at the front end of said planes, the

area in which said. propeller rotates, being substantially equal to the area within which the front ends of the planes are located, whereby said propeller will effectively drive the air rearwardly beneath said lanes.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, all of saidplanes being concavoconvex in transverse section with their concave faces disposed downwardly.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, all of said planes being concavo-convex in trans- .verse section with their concave faces disposed downwardly, and each of said planes being bulged upwardly on longitudinal lines to form parallel channels whose ends merge into the lower surface of the planes.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1, al. of said planes being concavo-convexin transverse section with their concave faces disposed downwardly, and each of said planes being bulged upwardly on longitudinal lines to form parallel channels whose ends merge 1nto the lower surfaces 0, the planes, and a lining of fibrous material secured to the lower surface of each plane and extending throughout thearea thereof.

5. A plane for air ships elongated in the direction of flight and of concave-convex shape in transverse section with its concave face disposed downwardly, said plane being? 25 bulged upwardly on parallel longitudin naeaeao lines to form longitudinal channels whoee ends merge into the lower surface of the plane.

6'. A structure as specified in claim 5, said 5 lane being formed of metal, and a fibrous ining secured to the lower side of said plane and extending throughout the areathereof. 7

7. A plane for airships formed of metal and a fibrous lining secured to the lower 1o side of said plane and extending throughout the area thereof.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto mt my hand.

WILLIAM EDWARD LANE. 

